The Cleveland Browns finished 2024 with a 3-14 record. Their scoring offense was the worst in the league (15.2 points per game), and their scoring defense was 27th (25.6 points per game allowed). They continued to be let down by quarterback Deshaun Watson (1-6 with a 79 passer rating). The only bright spot was the play of edge rusher Myles Garrett (14 sacks and a 92.3 PFF grade).
Cleveland has 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including five in the first four rounds (starting with the second overall pick). They have a number of glaring holes, and even the best picks in every round won’t help this team make the playoffs. With a lot of luck, this is a two-year rebuild. Here is a full 7 round mock draft, with what the team should do each pick (no trades allowed).
The biggest need for the Browns right now is quarterback, but with Cam Ward expected to go first overall, that leaves Shedeur Sanders, and his dad is not gonna let him play for Cleveland. The Browns will make a move for the best player on the board, and that will be Travis Hunter, Ashton Jeanty, or Abdul Carter.
While the team does need a bookend to go with Garrett, Hunter fills two holes on the team. Cedric Tillman is their current number two receiver (63.6 PFF grade – 75th in the league), and Denzel Ward is their best corner (68.4 PFF grade – 61st in the league). Hunter projects as Richard Sherman on defense and Jakobi Meyers on offense, which would adequately fill needs at both positions.
The entire offensive line needs upgrades in Cleveland, but especially the middle of it. Joel Bitonio is 33, and Wyatt Teller is 30. Neither one was in the top 50 for PFF grades given to guards in 2024. With he 33rd pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, they grab Grey Zabel out of North Dakota State.
Zabel had a 90.4 PFF grade last year (86.4 as a run blocker and 93.1 as a pass blocker). He is massive for a guard (6’6 and 305 pounds) and would immediately be the best player on the line if the team brings him in.
Nick Chubb is a free agent, and even if he were still in Cleveland, he is coming off a serious knee injury, and 29 years old. Jerome Ford and Pierre Strong won’t be much help in the backfield, so in round three of the draft, the Browns take Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson. He will the RB1 on his first day in camp.
Last season for the Hawkeyes, Johnson had 240 carries for 1,535 yards (6.4 YPC) and 21 touchdowns. He also showed how sure-handed he is in the passing game, catching 22 passes on 25 targets (88% catch percentage). He would be the Browns’ best weapon.
Garrett was a monster last season, and that was without any help on the line with him. After threatening to leave the team, he was bribed back with a record-breaking contract. Now the Browns need to get him some relief, which they find with their second third-round pick in 2025.
Kyle Kennard did not get a fantastic grade from PFF last year (77.0), but he still managed 23 hurries and 10 sacks on 310 pass plays. 533 of his 554 defensive snaps, he was lined up outside the tackle. He has the ability to make opposing quarterbacks extremely uncomfortable. Teams could still opt to double team Garrett, but Kennard could make them pay for that.
Even though the Browns took Travis Hunter in round one, they still need help at receiver. He will be a part time pass catcher and full-time corner, so the team needs someone who can consistently play in the slot. In round four, they take Oregon receiver Tez Johnson.
Like Troy Franklin last year, Johnson has fallen down draft boards, and like Johnson, he will make teams pay for that. He’s on the smaller side (5’10 and 165 pounds), but he has been productive. He caught 82 passes for the Ducks last year, and 10 of those were touchdowns.
Shelby Harris and Maliek Collins are currently scheduled to start in the middle of the Browns’ defensive line. Neither one inspires much confidence, and with only day three picks left, Cleveland will need to hit on a flyer. At pick 179, they take a hometown guy, Ohio State defensive tackle Ty Hamilton.
Hamilton is 6’3 and 299 pounds. He ran a 4.95 at the Combine and displayed good athleticism for a guy his size. The fifth-year senior had 51 total tackles last season, including six for a loss, and 3.5 sacks. He will be a rotational player right away.
The defense continues to get overhauled in the late rounds, when the Browns take Kentucky linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson with pick 192. He led the Wildcats with 67 tackles in 2024, including 7 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. He has equal experience dropping in coverage, as he does stuffing the run. He could provide occasional relief for Jordan Hicks.
David Njoku is 28 years old and didn’t exactly set Cleveland on fire last year. He had 64 receptions for 505 yards and 5 touchdowns. He could use some help at the tight end position, so with their third sixth-round pick, they take Orande Gadsen out of Syracuse.
Gadsen is 6’5 and 236 pounds. Long and lean, and he runs like it too (4.62 forty). He had an 82.6 PFF grade last year, in large part due to his 73 receptions for 934 yards and 7 touchdowns. He could help in double tight end sets, or in relief of Njoku.
Ronnie Hickman played well last year, but Grant Delpit didn’t. The Browns look to add depth at the safety position with pick 216, by selecting Tulane’s Caleb Ransaw. He is 6’0 and 196 pounds, and played an equal number of pass defense snaps and run defense snaps last season. He is versatile and effective, and could see snaps on more than special teams.
With their final pick in 2025, the Browns add depth at tackle. Xavier Truss out of Georgia is 6’7 and 320 pounds. He played mostly right tackle the last two seasons with the Bulldogs, allowing six sacks, and posting a 71.7 PFF grade at pass blocking. It’s unlikely he would start for the Browns, but he could provide relief if Dawand Jones or Jack Conklin need a breather.
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